The Answer
by Tortured Remorse
Summary: The unimaginable happens; Mark Fitzgerald returns from being locked up after Vegas Night. He's equipped with a new persona and a plan that took weeks to formulate. His plan: To drive a wedge in between Clare Edwards and Eli Goldsworthy.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

He doesn't remember arriving at her front door.

He had been running for a long time. It felt like he had been running from the thunderstorm itself but that wasn't the case. Something had happened at home and he just broke into a run towards the one person that he had sent various emails to. She had never responded but if he showed up at her front door, she would have no choice. He _needed _to talk to her. No matter what.

He panted for a few moments before knocking on her door. He made sure to knock between thunder claps so that she wouldn't dismiss it as the storm. He stood back and waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

The door opened slowly, cautiously. Clare Edwards stood at the door, a shocked expression quickly falling over her features. "_Fitz!_"

"Please. Don't be scared." Fitz said, sounding weak. "I didn't know where else to go."

Fitz looked down at her hands ans saw that she had ended the call. She had most likely been talking to Eli. They were always talking. "Are you... hurt?" Clare asked. The disbelief in her voice was evident.

Fitz nodded, touching the wound above his eye. "Yes. Can I please come in? I won't be long. I promise."

He could see her struggle with this. Fitz knew that what he had done was terrible but Clare was a _Christian. _She shouldn't deny him when he needed her help, at least for the moment.

Reluctantly, she finally nodded, waving him inside. "Sure."

Fitz walked in and immediately sat down on her couch as Clare went into the kitchen to get a rag for him to clean himself off with. If he didn't mess this up, he might have a chance.

"Here." Clare said, handing him a warm rag. "You know you can't stay here."

He took the rag and pressed it gently to the wound above his eye and nodded once. "I know. But Clare... please. I've been wanting to talk to you."

"What's there to talk about?" snapped Clare. "Eli is going to be so mad that you've been trying to talk to me. He doesn't know about it. But if you keep hounding me..."

"Hounding you?" Fitz repeated. "I've been trying to talk to you! I haven't been able to sleep lately. I can't stop thinking about Vegas Night." He trailed off. _Humble. Humble. _"I can't make you listen to me. I can't make you do anything that you don't want to do. But, _please_, Clare. I just want to tell you this one thing and I'll be on my way."

She hadn't walked away. She was being quiet and her eyes were trained on the floor. After a long silence she said, "Well? What is it?"

"While I was locked away, I had a long time to think about my actions and how terribly wrong they were. I was lost. By being away, I found some answers. _The _answer." He looked down and frowned. "I want to be forgiven. I want you to forgive me."

An almost unbearable silence followed.

"What about Eli?" Clare asked finally. "Are you going to ask him to forgive you, too?"

Knowing this moment was crucial, Fitz nodded. "Of course. I didn't try to stab you. I thought it might be easier to talk to you first."

"So you also want my help in getting Eli to talk to you."

Fitz almost smiled. _I can't forget that she's a smart girl. One of the reasons I liked her so much. _"If it's too much to ask of you... then no." He handed her back the rag and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Clare asked as he tried to walk past her.

"I thought you might need some time to think about it." Fitz said quietly. "I'm going to make my way home."

She reached out and touched his arm. "The storm isn't supposed to end until morning."

Again, Fitz nodded humbly. "I'll be okay."

Knowing he was playing on some guilt on her part, he could see the fault lines that would become the breaks in her resolve. She looked away. "Do you want to stay the night? You can sleep on the couch."

"You wouldn't mind, would you?" Fitz asked hopefully.

A short pause before she shook her head. "No."

"Does that mean..." Fitz said, allowing the sentence to trail off. Hoping she would answer his unspoken question.

"Don't rush things." Clare said and smiled faintly. "But I'm willing to talk to you. Certainly that is better than nothing?"

Once more, Fitz nodded and sat back down on the couch. Shortly afterward, Clare sat down opposite him. He began by explaining the situation at home.

They talked long into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

"You _what_?"

She had never seen Eli this angry before. He had indeed snapped at her once, when she had cleaned out his locker. Not knowing that he was a hoarder. This anger, though... this was something she had been expecting but not at this level. He looked like he was about to blow a blood vessel in his neck and forehead.

"I... talked to Fitz. In person last night." Clare said again, trying to keep her voice steady and sure. "He showed up at my door, Eli. What was I supposed to do? Turn him away?"

"Yes!" Eli blurted out. "Do you remember what he tried doing for the first half of the school year? And you just _let _him in when he showed up at your doorstep?"

"_Eli will never be able to understand or forgive, Clare._" The voice of Fitz said inside of her head was saying. "_But you're different than him. You're a much better person. Please..._"

Clare shook her head as the memory led off somewhere else. She sighed. "Eli. Please don't be mad at me. I think Fitz is sorry for what he did to you. To us. He said that he would eventually like to talk to you."

"I'm _never _going to talk to him!" Eli said, his voice incredibly close to shouting. "I would very much like it if you never talked to him again either!"

"_He's going to be mad, Clare. I'm so sorry that he will yell at you. His temper will get a hold of him and he will try to tell you not to talk to me. He can't control what you do, Clare. I've been wanting to talk to you for so long. Please. Don't let Eli ruin it._"

"I'm sorry, Eli." Clare said softly. "I won't talk to him again."

_Forgive me, Lord. For I have just lied. _

Eli calmed down and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, burying his face in her neck. "Can I come over after school today? We can create you a new email account so Fitz will never be able to talk to you again..."

"I can't hang out tonight." Clare said firmly. "I have a youth group to go to and a Bible study afterward. I'm sorry."

Eli sighed but nodded. "It's okay. Sometime over the weekend, maybe?"

Clare just nodded, her thoughts again drifting off to Fitz. "_I got a job at The Dot now, since I can't go back to Degrassi. If you ever want to talk after you're done school or something... that's where I'll be._"

The final bell rang and Clare wanted to dash to The Dot to go talk to Fitz but Eli had her held firmly. "I love you, Clare."

Clare faked a smile. "Yeah, love you too." She kissed his cheek and left Eli to watch her back as she left.

She made her way to The Dot, making sure that Eli wasn't following her every once in awhile. When she arrived, she saw Fitz washing some dishes and walked up to the counter.

"What can I get you?" The person, whom she didn't recognize, asked her from behind the counter.

"Can I have two waters and some time with Mark, over there?" Clare asked, smothering a smile.

The person started to frown but nodded. "Hey, Fitz. Grab two waters and go talk to the lovely young lady here."

Fitz turned and as soon as he saw her, he didn't bother smothering his smile. She waved and he held up his hand to indicate for her to wait but she had decided to go find a table away from the prying eyes of the public. He handed her a water and sat down, his grin still there.

"It's so good to see you again, Clare." Fitz said, looking down bashfully. It was something Clare had never seen him do before and her heart skipped a beat, thinking the gesture was cute.

She smiled. "For some reason, I can't keep you out of my head." Realizing what she had just said, she felt a small blush creep onto her cheeks and she took a sip of her water, thankful for the distraction.

"That makes two of us." Fitz said softly, pretending he hadn't seen the blush. "What can I help you with?"

_Here goes nothing. _"I have something to tell you. And then something to ask you."

Fitz nodded, sipping his water carefully. "All right. I'm ready."

Clare took a deep breath before saying softly, "I forgive you, Fitz. I hope that you feel better. I know that it makes me feel better."

Fitz's smile widened and he once more looked down, a hint of sadness creeping to the surface of his expression. After a moment, he finally said, "Thank you so much, Clare. That means more to me than you will ever know."

She reached out and patted his hand gently. "You're welcome. I'm so happy for you. That you've found redemption. And that I helped you find that path."

He wanted her to keep her hand there for longer than she did but she had moved it back to her water, the corner of her lips tugged into a gentle smile. He looked back up. "And what was the thing you wanted to ask me?"

"Oh, I have a youth group to go to tonight. And a Bible study afterward. I was wondering..." She swallowed nervously. "I was wondering if you would like to come with me. Eli never wants to go. I understand why but I would like it if someone would come with me."

He looked at his watch. "I get done in about ten minutes. Do you... do you mind waiting for me?"

Clare shook her head, lips once again curled into a smile. "We've got some time. I don't mind waiting."

"Thanks, Clare." Fitz said, taking his empty water and standing up. "Anything I can get you before I'm done work?"

"_No, thanks. I'll be here when you're done." She flashed him a smile and watched him get back to work. Thinking that she was in the clear, she took out her phone and was going to text Eli to make sure he wasn't on her tail when she heard the door chime and turned to look. _

And there stood Eli, his face a mask of pure, feral anger. "You _lied _to me, Clare!"

_How did he know to come here? _Clare asked herself, trying to calm herself down. She got up and approached him carefully, knowing that everyone in The Dot was now looking at them. "I know, Eli. I told you that I was sorry about talking to him before. But he's a different person, now. He found peace!"

"_So now you're defending _him?" Eli spat. "What kind of lies has he been telling you?"

"He's told me no lies." Clare responded calmly. "He's a changed person, Eli. I believe him when he says he is."

"_Don't you see what he's trying to do?" Eli said vehemently. "He's trying to take you away from me!_"

"I've told Clare exactly how I feel, Eli." Fitz said from behind Eli. Both of his hands were in front of him, indicating he didn't want to fight. "I told her that I wanted her to forgive me. And today, she did. I want you to forgive me, too. But that's more than unlikely."

"_Sure, Fitz. _I forgive you. For tricking me into thinking you were going to _stab _me. And then ruining everything for everyone else!" Eli retorted angrily. "I'm only going to say this once. Stay _away _from Clare. Or we're going to go back to the way things were."

"_You're being too much." Clare said, finally deciding to speak up. "I've asked Fitz to join me for the evening. I don't need your approval to take a friend _to something I _invited _him to."

If Eli had been angry when he had entered The Dot, it was now pure fury. "_No! _I _forbid _you to go with him!"

_He's trying to control me. _Clare said to herself. She was shocked. _Fitz was right. Exactly right about him. How Fitz knew this would happen, I'll never know. I only know one thing. _"I'm sorry, Eli. But you don't control me. I want Fitz to go with me. I'm sorry that you have a problem with that."

She gathered her courage and tried to walk past Eli defiantly but he grabbed her arm. She looked down at the bone white grip he had on her arm and into his fiery eyes.

"_You're coming with me. Now._" Eli growled.

"Don't touch me." Clare retorted, trying to pull free of his grasp. "I'm leaving."

She held his gaze, being as defiant as she could. Eli relented at last, releasing her from his terrible, angry grasp. If looks could kill, she would be dead on the spot. Ignoring this as best she could, she took Fitz by the hand and led him out of The Dot and away from an irate Eli.

Clare held back tears as Eli shouted in despair. When his cries were but a whisper behind them, she finally found the strength to look at Fitz. The person who had caused Eli so much trouble. Now that she had left with him, she was clearly worried about Eli. When she was close to crying, she felt his big arms wrap around her and pull her into an embrace. He whispered the Lord's prayer into her ears, which only reduced her to weeping openly in his arms.

He held onto her even as she wanted to rage and beat him up. He caught all of her tears onto his shirt and massaged her back until the sobbing had subsided. When she felt like she had cried her eyes out, she finally realized that she had felt safe inside Fitz's embrace. She had never felt more able to be herself. With Eli, she had to be someone who was strong. For his sake. Now, she was the weak one and she had been able to weep without judgment.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, looking at the tears on his shirt.

"Don't be. I was glad that you felt you could..."

The rest of his sentence was stopped as she cupped his cheeks and pulled him down into a kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

She hadn't responded to any of his text messages.

_None. _

Eli knew that he might have been pushing it a little bit with sending her eight texts within ten minutes but he was starting to get desperate. He had lost his composure at The Dot and had allowed his temper to get the best of him. What was worse, in his mind, was that he could possibly have _hurt _her. In his rage. In his unspeakable agony, he might have actually hurt her. After Julia, he couldn't stand the thought of hurting someone else again.

"Clare!" Eli roared, his blaring music drowning his words. "I'm sorry!"

His vision had begun to swim. He blinked in an attempt to clear it. He was doing his best not to cry but if she didn't answer him soon, something was going to happen. He didn't know what but the pain kept mounting and with every passing second, it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Needing the distraction, Eli opened his laptop. He logged onto his Face Range and decided to see if Clare had posted anything new. She didn't get on it often and Eli understood why. She had explained what had happened with her older sister. Clare hadn't wanted to make the same mistakes she had but after a little convincing, Eli helped her create one. It didn't take long for Clare to become popular.

His page finally loaded up and he had to blink a few more times before his vision was clear enough to see.

To his horror, she _had _posted something new. And what she posted broke his heart.

_I had so much fun tonight. I can't wait for next week._

He quickly slammed his laptop shut. He had to quickly stop himself from throwing it against the wall. The pain that he was now feeling demanded motion so he stood and began pacing his room to the best of his ability. His thoughts were racing and he took a few calming breaths, his eyes catching a small box on the floor. It looked like he had tried to hide it. His eyes widened as he finally recognized what it was.

"_What's the matter? Little Eli scared_ ?"

The voice of Julia echoed through his mind and his pain doubled.

She had dared him to go with her as she decided to vandalize someone's bike that she had been angry with. He had protested, saying that it was against the law. Also, not the best way to deal with her anger. She had then dared him and given him that crossed arm gesture that she was so fond of using when she was angry.

He had given in, of course. He put his hands up in surrender and she relented.

Little did he know that it would become an addiction for her. She couldn't stop because it was a way to express herself without actually dealing with the problem.

Eli swallowed. He got down on his knees and pulled the box from under the stuff he had tried to bury it under. His fingers traced the outline of the box as his now shaking hand undid the clasp and he opened the box slowly.

The same shaking hand was about to reach into the darkness to retrieve something when he heard banging on his door. "Eli!"

"Mom." Eli sighed in relief and closed the lid. "I'll be right there!" He called, getting to his feet and turning the music down. He opened the door and she knew instantly that something was wrong.

"What's the matter, baby boy?"

As his mother wrapped her arms around him, his defense nearly collapsed. His throat was tight and his vision was blurring again. "It's Clare." He managed to let out. "Again."

"Oh, Eli." His mother finally released him from the embrace and gave him a smile. "Things will work out. I'm sure of it."

Eli nodded mutely and closed the door, declining dinner at the moment.

As soon as he got onto the bed, his phone vibrated.

He didn't need to look to see whom it was from. He knew.

It was from Clare.

_I think we need to talk. _

Eli wrote a quick and furious reply. _You're going to break up with me, aren't you? What did I do, Clare? I'm so sorry. Please. Forgive me._

He didn't have to wait long for her reply. _I don't know if I can do this anymore, Eli. I'm reaching the end of my rope. _

_Please, Clare. Come with me to our little vacation. We can talk things out and everything will be okay. I promise. _After sending that text, he was sure that she would give him the chance to explain himself and let him show how sorry he was. They would be fine and they could move past this.

She never responded, even as he began packing for the trip. Figuring she was simply taking her time and getting ready to leave. He departed his house secretly and met her at their designated spot.

"What are you doing for the rest of the night?" Clare asked, once they arrived at her house. They had gone to both the youth group and the bible study. She had almost forgotten that the school dance was tonight... as well as the start of the weekend that Eli wanted to spend with her. Then there was Fitz... whom she had crossed an invisible line with. Whose existence consisted of trying to convince his step-brother to lay off the drugs, reading Bible verses and wanting to spend time with her.

She was reluctant to let him go home.

"I'll probably just go home." Fitz said slowly. "I'm sure you have to go talk to Eli and then do something for the rest of the night. I'm glad you invited me. I had fun tonight."

"The school dance is tonight." Clare said softly. "I wish you could step foot on school grounds. I'd... I'd..."

_What am I doing? I'm in a relationship with Eli. And here I am... wanting something from someone else..._

"You'd what, Clare?" Fitz inquired.

"I'd want you to go with me." Clare said at last.

Fitz didn't hide his shock and happiness. He wasn't expecting that. He looked down and said, "You should still go to the dance. Have fun. Eli or me shouldn't stop you from that."

_He has a point. _Clare thought to herself. _But... _"I'll go to the dance. On one condition."

Fitz raised an eyebrow. "And the condition is?"

She pulled herself close to him, whispering into his ear. "That you come in with me and tell me how my dress looks. And after the dance, I want to see you again..."

The expression on Fitz told Clare all she needed to know. He nodded. "I don't want to stop this..."

"Neither do I." She said, her voice barely a whisper. She grabbed his hand. "Come on. Don't say anything else."

He simply nodded and allowed her to lead him into her house.

Trying to hide the growing smile.

Despair was setting in.

He had tried to keep reading his comic he had brought with him but the later that Clare was getting, the more and more he couldn't focus. The words and pictures were blurring from the tears that were threatening to fall. His hands curled into fists as he actually got _angry _at Clare for doing this to him.

Only one word kept floating around in his mind: _Betrayal. _

He didn't want to think about her anymore. Wanted to forget that she ever came into his life at all. They had endured all this... and for what? To be left for the very person that he had almost been stabbed trying to protect?

It didn't _feel _like a betrayal. It _was _a betrayal.

What could he do? What could possibly bring her back to him?

Threats of suicide? An actual suicide attempt? Eli began thinking things that he hadn't thought about since the immediate aftermath of Julia's death. Should those thoughts have scared him? Perhaps. But it was _Clare. _Who he'd just seen with _Fitz. _This was some kind of nightmare and he needed to be awakened from it.

So did Clare.

He grabbed his phone. He should have called her but instead went into composing a few messages that would scare her into calling him and by that point, she would be too late.

_I know that you're thinking we don't belong with each other, Clare. But we do. I hope you come to see me in the hospital._

He threw his phone into the passenger seat and started the hearse.

After going into a rather deep thought behind the wheel, he began to ignore the speed limits and put his foot to the ground and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes he had only one thought.

_I love you, Clare._

And the darkness claimed him.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

"I like the color..." Fitz said with a grin.

Looking down at her legs made Clare chuckle. "Is that _all _that you like?"

Fitz raised an eyebrow and nodded and knew that she would pick up on his little white lie. Of course that wasn't all that he liked but he couldn't bring that to her attention.

Not yet, anyway.

She didn't let his gaze go. "What else do you like about it? Or don't like about it?" She pulled the hem of the skirt slightly. "You don't think it's too short?"

Fitz looked away, trying to find some form of distraction that would be able to delay his admission of physical attraction to her. "It's pretty cool that your parents are allowing you to stay in the house. Making them the ones who need to change, not you."

She took a few steps closer. "Fitz. Stop avoiding my question."

He looked up into her serious blue eyes and held her gaze. She was too serious for his liking right now. _Where is she going with this? _Fitz thought to himself before finally replying, "I think you're showing the proper amount of skin."

He expected an angry retort but none came. Her stern expression softened; her lips curled into a smile, her ivory skin also turning a slight red. "Really?"

He nodded mutely.

She closed the already small gap between them, taking hold of his right hand. "What else do you like?" She whispered. "Tell me. Please..."

"I..." He wanted to pull his hand away and place it in his lap. He wanted to continue the Bible Fitz. But with Clare Edwards, the one person that had truly caught his attention, making him rub her leg... it was most difficult to keep his thoughts on prayer and good behavior. "Your thighs. Your eyes. Your lips..." This time he caught her gaze and pleaded with her mentally. _Please, Clare. Don't make me say anymore. You're ruining any progress that I might have made._

She released his hand but decided to sit on his knee. "Anything else?" She whispered, her voice dripping with a seduction that Fitz didn't think she had in her.

He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers, about to deepen the kiss when Clare's phone suddenly rang.

As she got up to answer it, he muttered a curse. Who would call her now? Eli? Fitz had thought she had put him on the ignore list for the night.

He heard a cry of surprise from the kitchen and he was about to get up when she reentered the room. "It was Eli's dad." She explained as she started to grab her things. "Eli's been in an accident and is in the hospital."

Fitz stood and offered her a sympathetic frown."Clare. You know what he's doing, don't you?"

She paused at the door, knowing that question from before...

"_Don't you see what he's trying to do? He's trying to take you away from me!_"

Eli's voice echoed in her mind but she shook her head. "No, I don't."

"He's trying to manipulate you." Fitz said softly. "He's so upset that you choose to spend the night with me. And this is his way of getting you to come back to him."

"How do you _know _that?" Clare spat angrily. "He might be near death!"

"Clare, please." Fitz raised his hands defensively. "I know you're worried about him. I'm not going to stop you from seeing your boyfriend. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. The kisses or the the fighting with Eli. But you must trust me on this. I had a lot of time to think while I was locked up. I think I've figured Eli out."

She crossed her arms across her chest.

"I'm not going to argue this." Fits said, seeing the gesture and went to go grab his things. "But don't be surprised when you figure out the truth about him."

Despite her simmering anger, Clare was shocked in the depth of conviction that she could hear in Fitz's voice. He really must have thought about her and Eli for most of the time he had been locked away and must have had an epiphany about Eli. His conviction almost made her doubt her faith that she had an Eli.

Almost.

"No matter what he's trying to do, Fitz, I still care about him." She sighed. "Please don't go. I'm sorry about getting angry. I won't be long. You can stay here."

No matter how tempting the offer was, Fitz wasn't convinced. "You're probably going to want to spend the night in the hospital. I don't want you to think that you have to leave Eli to come home. Thanks for tonight, Clare." He smiled apologetically. "I had so much fun. Tell Eli that I will pray for a quick recovery."

She couldn't leave it like this. His sincerity and the softness in his voice had made her feel weak in the knees. He really _was _a changed person. Someone that she had once been afraid of, was now someone she didn't want to let go into the midst of time. Mark Fitzgerald was... worthy of more than just her forgiveness.

"Fitz, wait." She grabbed his upper arm, feeling the bulge of muscle beneath the shirt. Removing herself from those thoughts, she continued. "Listen to me, okay? _I don't want you to go._"

He paused, looking down at her hand on her arm. "I can't stay here, Clare." He said softly and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Why can't you say here?" She asked and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and tried again to avoid eye contact. "Clare. Please don't make me say it. I don't want to make you think differently of me. I'll just go and you can go to The Dot whenever you want to find me."

He reached for the door handle but she blocked his way. "I'm not going anywhere, Fitz. Tell me."

"I like you, Clare." Fitz explained softly, as if he was ashamed to admit it. "You've known that since Vegas Night. The more time I spend with you, the more I feel tempted."

"Tempted?" Clare prompted, pretending that she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Tempted to kiss you. To touch you."

"I kissed you first." Clare admitted softly. "And would not have stopped you from any advances you might have made."

The admission shocked him. She should have been at the hospital by now. Yet here she was, _admitting _that she would not have stopped him. Part of him now wished that he had known this before instead of trying to be good when both he and Clare both were repressing certain urges.

Then he got it.

She didn't want him to go home because she had no plans of staying overnight with Eli. Their relationship had reached a straining point and she was just going there to make sure he was okay before coming back.

To him.

His heart began hammering in his chest as he swallowed rather loudly. "I... I think I'll stay here, after all."

She leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to his lips and grinned. "I'll be back in an hour or two."

Fitz nodded and returned the grin. "I can't wait."

He closed the door as she sprinted outside and returned to his seat on her couch.

Even after a half an hour had passed...

He was still grinning.


	5. Author's Note

A/N

So we come to it at last! :D

In this chapter, you will find out why the story got an M rating.

You must forgive me if it's… not good. First fanfiction and all. I sure hope it gets better!

I also hope that you enjoy it as much as you have the previous chapters.

Onwards!


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Resting his head on the pillow, Eli barely heard when his father entered the room. There was a small ringing in his ears that the Doctors had been unable to remove with medication. So he did his best to keep his thoughts on Clare and waited until she came.

"I got a hold of Clare." His father said finally.

Eli didn't open his eyes. "When will she be here?"

"She should be here any moment." He could hear his father edge closer. "Eli. Why'd you do this, buddy? What's going on between you two?"

It wasn't normally that he confided in his father. His mother was the one he usually went to if he wanted to talk about anything. Since his mother had yet to arrive from work, he couldn't bring himself to tell his father. "It was just an accident, Dad. Nothing more."

"I know my son better than that." His father said firmly. "Ever since Julia, you've had episodes like this. Clare must have hurt you in some fashion. Come on, Eli. You can tell me."

Knowing that his father was trying to reach out, offer advice, just trying to _help _him... he relented and sighed, opening his eyes at last. "Do you remember Fitz?"

His father nodded. "The boy from that dance that faked stabbing you?"

Eli's lips curled into a small frown. "That's the one. Well, today..." Eli blinked to clear his blurring vision. "Today, I saw her at The Dot with him. He's been hounding her to forgive him because he says he's found God. But I know the truth. The real reason why he's after her."

"And what's the reason?"

"He's had a crush on her!" Eli blurted out, a tear spilling down his cheek. "And he'll do anything to get into her pants!"

His father patted his right hand. "Ssh. Do you honestly believe that?"

Eli nodded and looked away.

"And have you talked to Clare about how you feel?"

"No, I haven't. She's been unable to separate herself from him ever since he showed up again." His voice dripped with acid. With bitterness. "She's probably going to leave me for him."

His father remained silent, trying to figure out the right thing to say. "Eli, you're both very young. I know that it feels like you want to spend the rest of your life with her but things happen. If she's meant to leave you, then she will. I know it's hard to hear, son. But you will find someone else. I promise."

His answer was silence as Eli picked up the tattered comic book and refused to look up.

Taking his cue, his father got up and left the room, standing outside listening to what some of the Doctor's were telling him about his son's condition.

When Clare finally burst into the hallway.

"Where is he?"

She was directed into his room.

Eli looked up and smiled. "Clare. You came."

Her eyes began to water at the sight of all the injuries that he had. "What did you _do_?"

"I crashed Morty." Eli said, looking like he barely managed to smother a grin.

Tears spilled onto her cheeks and she didn't try to stop them. "But you loved that car."

"I love _you, _Clare. And you came. Despite everything, you are _here._"

He had reached for her hand but she backed up, her gaze accusing. "You knew I would come."

He looked up and his smile faded. "Of course you would.."

"You..." She found that she couldn't breathe. Fitz had been _right._ Crashing his car had been...had been nothing more than a... "You've been trying to manipulate me!" She said and smacked his hand away.

"Please, Clare... It's not like that!" Eli tried to protest but she wasn't hearing him.

"I can't do this anymore." She said, grabbing the door handle. "I'm sorry, Eli. But I can't do this."

"Clare, _please_! Don't leave me!" He tried to grab her hand again and she just pushed it away.

"I'm sorry."

She opened the door and left.

Eli put his face into the hospital pillow and just cried into it.

Crying like he hadn't since he found Julia after she had been hit. His sobs finally attracted the attention of his father, whom patted him on the back and told him that his mother was almost here and that everything would be okay.

His heart was broken for the second time in under two years.

All he felt... was empty.

* * *

><p>Fitz was awakened to the sound of the front door opening and to the uncontrollable sobs of what he assumed was Clare. He stood up and saw her laying near the front door. Her dress was damp and she looked like a mess.<p>

She looked up as he approached her cautiously.

"Fitz... I'm...sorry. I'm...so sorry.."

He took her hands and helped her to her feet, pulling her into a warm hug. "Sorry for what?" He whispered into her ear.

"I didn't believe you." She said, pulling away slightly and looking up into his eyes. "You were right. He was just trying to manipulate me."

Fitz frowned. "I wish that I could have protected you from that, Clare. I'm sorry."

She blinked back more tears. "You're so different, Fitz. Eli doesn't understand..." She tried to smile. "I broke up with him. I can't deal with it anymore."

Fitz tried to hide his shock. "You broke up with him? How did he take that?"

"He was a mess." She said, her gaze lowered. "I'm pretty sure he's not okay, I... I feel bad."

Taking his chance, Fitz began to rub her back. "You did the right thing, Clare. All Eli would have brought you was heartache and manipulation. You're free, now. He should be happy for you but he won't be."

Despite everything she was feeling, his kind touch, his soothing words, she smiled. He made _sense_. Eli barely ever did. She looked up into his eyes again, the guilty feelings of Eli and what she had to do was fading and what was standing in their place was feelings... of attraction. A quickened heartbeat. And something more...

_Was this what he was talking about earlier? _Clare thought to herself and throttled any form of self-control. "Thank you, Fitz. For being here for me."

He chuckled. "You don't have to thank me, Clare. But you're welcome."

For the second time that night, Clare pulled him into a kiss.

He didn't fight her. Not this time. Eli would no longer be a problem and that allowed him to deepen the kiss, pushing Clare gently backwards. She retreated until she hit the couch and slowly fell backwards. He remained on top of her, her lips his only focus. He decided to risk allowing one of his hands to wander down her chest. She grabbed his hand and he waited for the reminder about her boundaries.

It didn't come.

Instead, she guided his hand lower...lower...

When she guided him beneath her dress, his eyes widened and he looked into Clare's eyes, looking for an explanation or... something. All he found was a simple nod and a smile.

Permission.

He should have retracted his hand. He should have shook his head and pretended to come to his senses and politely decline. It would have made him more of a hero in her eyes. Something _was _wrong in doing this. Here she was, just broken up with her boyfriend. All ready in the arms of another...and wanting to cross that line that can never be crossed back. All hopes of forgiveness from Eli would disappear if he did this.

Clare guided his hand further, his fingertips gracing her sex before he retreated slightly. She inhaled sharply and pushed his hand once more against her sex. Willing him to take over.

His resolve shattered.

He inserted one of his fingers into her warm folds and was instantly amazed as she tightened her muscles around him.

His pants suddenly felt very snug.

Shaking his head mentally, he returned to focus on Clare. He inserted another finger and Clare finally moaned softly. He moved them in and out slowly, his thumb reaching for the sensitive bud on the outside, rubbing it in a slow circle.

She thrust her hips at him and he assumed that he was doing something wrong. He didn't have time to second guess himself or try to do something else. Clare was all ready thrusting her hips in motion with the pace of his fingers. After releasing a louder moan, she cried out suddenly.

He felt moisture on his arm and he glanced down.

Had Clare... had she just... _came?_

Looking back up, his answer was on her lips. She was smiling, her ivory skin now flushed a bright crimson. He smiled back helplessly, feeling as if he had nothing to do with what just happened. She giggled and hiked her dress up farther. "Fitz... please..."

She wanted more?

Nodding to himself, he slipped himself down farther...but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"I want you inside of me."

Fitz blinked. Had he just heard that right? Sex... with Clare? She wanted to give her virginity to him?

She nodded to his unspoken question.

_Is this moving too fast? _Fitz thought to himself quickly. _This isn't like Clare. Should I do the right thing? Should I stop this now? She might regret this later. _She might be doing this to forget about Eli. About the heartache she must be undoubtedly feeling. She had told him about wanting to give it away to Eli a few weeks earlier and he had turned her down because he knew that it wasn't like her. She had been grateful at the time but now... this was different. He had all ready crossed that line when he had helped her orgasm.

_Well, _Fitz thought to himself, _Might as well cross the line all the way. There's no going back. _

"In that case," Fitz said when he could trust his voice, "That dress is going to have to come off."

His answer was a reassuring smile as Clare stood up and turned her back towards him. "I need a little help." She said and pointed, as best she could, towards the string that held the dress together. "Just pull."

He reached out nervously and pulled the string that she had indicated.

Her green dress fell to a pool around her knees.

Fitz's arousal reached a dangerous boiling point as he looked her over. She was built beautifully and seeing her in her bra and panties was something that, he was sure, no one else had ever seen.

"One last thing." Clare giggled nervously. "I'm sure you don't need my help to figure it out."

Fitz nodded. Of course. Her bra strap.

His hand was more steady this time as he reached and unclasped her bra with ease and she let it fall.

Fitz inhaled softly as she turned towards him. Try as he might, he simply could not take his eyes off of her. She closed the gap and took his shirt in her hands and lifted it up over his head. He shook his head mentally, removing himself from distraction. He unbuckled his pants next and let them fall, kicking them away.

When he looked back up, it seemed that he wasn't the only one having a problem looking away.

Clare seemed almost... _frightened _by his erect cock that bulged from his boxers. "Are they all that big?" Clare asked nervously, looking into his eyes. There was definitely a small fear in her eyes.

"I don't know." Fitz answered honestly. "But it will only hurt for a moment."

She accepted his answer with a slow nod and slid her panties off. He followed suit and allowed his erect cock the freedom that it had been seeking for a long time. Clare eased herself onto the couch. She was nervous, now. If she had been brave before, her bravery seemed to have evaporated.

It was up to him to make her feel comfortable. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her deeply. After a moment, he parted their lips. Barely.

"Are you ready?" He asked, positioning his cock at her entrance. "Only a moment, I promise."

She nodded and whispered, "I'm ready."

Taking a deep breath, he slowly inserted himself into her slick folds, stretching her. He withdrew and went farther. Clare moaned softly as he kept repeating until he felt something.

Her virgin barrier.

Clare inhaled as she felt him brush it.

He groaned and thrust, breaching it.

She cried out and squeezed her eyes shut.

Fitz managed to catch another cry with a gentle kiss and before he could murmur anything, the pain was gone. Replaced by an erotic sense of fullness. He was deep inside of her, a part of her forever. She opened her eyes and met his. Her heart warmed as she thought about how far Fitz had come from the person she had known and grown to fear.

She had become the answer to his problems. She reached out and cupped his cheek as he continued to thrust into her, a rhythm finally achieved. He looked into her eyes at last, sweat spilling from his forehead onto her hand. She pulled him into a kiss as his pace began to lessen. Knowing that he was about to orgasm.

His body shuddered and with a groan, be began to spill himself deep inside of her.

Once his orgasm had passed, he retreated and collapsed beside her.

She looked over at him and saw terror in his eyes. She frowned and sat up on her elbows. "What's wrong? Didn't you enjoy it?"

"I loved every second of it, Clare." Fitz said. "But I... I just..."

_Hadn't used a condom. _Clare finished for him mentally. How could he have been ready for something like this? She wasn't mad. Or worried. She chuckled and rubbed his arm. "I'll get some certain pills tomorrow. Don't worry."

His body relaxed, slightly. "All right."

She eased herself beside him and closed her eyes.

She was instantly asleep.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6 **_

"Eli, time to wake up."

The voice of his father rang out from his dream world and Eli managed to open his eyes, blinking a few times and rubbing them in an attempt to wake up faster. "What?" He asked, looking around. "I have no where to be. Can't I sleep?"

His father shook his head. "No. The doctors said that we should be concerned that you're not doing much or moving around. They suggested that we try to inspire you to get up from the couch." He chuckled. "You've practically grown a root there."

Eli ignored the comment and threw the blanket off of him. If his father was here about telling him to get up, it must have been discussed with his mother too. Which meant she wasn't happy either. "So," Eli said, putting his elbows on his knees. "Where is it that you want me to go?"

"To the pharmacy to pick up your medication would be a good start."

Eli released a sigh and stood up, wobbly for a moment. "I guess I'm walking?"

"You don't have a car anymore. So, yes." His father handed him a little pamphlet and Eli looked at it dubiously. "Just hand it to them and they'll give you your medication."

Eli nodded and made his way out of his house and down the street, ignoring all the people that were giving him strange looks. He hadn't eaten in a few days. Nor had he drank much. He must have looked terrible because the looks were... concerned. Worried.

_Should they be? _

It was a question that he was sure his parents had been asking themselves. Their son had just crashed his car on purpose. They were used to such acts by now but that worried the regulars that didn't know Eli very well.

He shook his head and banished any more thoughts of himself. He needed to be thinking of a way to get Clare back... to show her that he wasn't trying to manipulate her at all...

_Fitz probably put that thought into her head. _Eli thought to himself angrily, ignoring his previous attempt at keeping himself from his thoughts. _Once Clare is once again mine, I'll deal with him..._

The pharmacy was finally in sight and Eli hobbled himself inside. He wanted to make this a quick visit. Although when he passed an isle, something caught his eye...

A flick of hair...

Ivory skin...

Blue eyes...

"Clare?" Eli blurted out hopefully.

The figure tensed and slowly turned around, revealing herself to indeed be Clare. Eli caught her eye only for a moment, before she looked down at the floor. "Eli..."

"What?" He said, starting to make his way towards her. She seemed... embarrassed. Ashamed. He had kept his eyes focused on her but when he finally reached her, he looked around the isle...

His heart fell to the ground and shattered.

"You're in the _condoms _isle?" Eli demanded angrily. "Clare... you...you didn't..."

She kept her gaze to the floor, refusing to look him in the eye. "Yes, Eli. I had sex."

Revulsion threatened to consume him as he finally pieced together what must have happened. When Clare left him at the hospital, she had gone straight into the arms of Fitz. He had comforted her, offered a sympathetic ear, held her as she surely must have cried, wiped her tears and his hands surely wandered...

And she had _let _him.

That's what disgusted Eli the most. Clare had just shown her true colors.

"_I'm sorry about before. About everything. You win._"

Vegas Night: His declaration of loss. He had been fighting the war with Fitz to protect Clare but in the end, she betrayed him. Fitz might as well have handed Clare the knife because Eli felt like falling to the ground again.

"You should be ashamed of yourself." Eli said as calmly as he could. "I'm sure you're not. So _I'm _ashamed of you. That's disgusting."

And with that, he pushed passed her.

She grabbed his arm and he snapped.

"_Don't touch me!_"

"Eli, please..."

He made his way to the pharmacy without another glance backwards. His skin felt like it was on fire. He was sure that he was as red as blood but all he wanted to do was get out of here as fast as he could. He heard Clare whispering his name from behind him. He ignored her, focusing on the pharmacist.

"There you are. Have a nice day." The pharmacist said, handing him his medication.

Eli just nodded and turned away from where Clare's voice had been coming from. He started walking away but Clare blocked his path.

"Eli. Eli, please."

He continued to look away.

"You're not even going to look at me?"

Although Eli wasn't look straight at her, he thought he saw a tear spill from her eye. It could have been what he _wanted _to see. He had had problems like that before, after Julia. Seeing things that he wanted to see rather than what had actually happened. Her voice had broke at the end and he knew that his silence had upset her. He normally would have cared but right now...

Right now, he was too hurt and shocked to care about anything.

"Would an apology mean anything to you?" Clare whimpered.

Eli shook his head and ignored trying to by civil and listen to her pleas. He brushed past her a second time and she didn't try to follow him. He could hear soft sobs as he got farther and farther away.

He closed his heart off to the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.

_An apology would mean nothing to me. _

He added to himself, _Clare now means nothing to me. _

All the way home, he kept trying to convince himself of that.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

_I did it. _

_I actually did it._

He had fulfilled his promise, what seemed like forever ago.

"_Don't worry. When we have sex, I'll be gentle._"

Fitz continued with his work, putting the dishes into the sink, his lips pulling upwards in a grin.

"What's that silly look for, Mark?"

Fitz looked up. His boss had just noticed and his grin quickly evaporated. "Nothing, boss. Just thought of something."

"Seems like you've had something on your mind since you clocked in." His boss observed, moving closer and lowering his voice. "Everything all right at home?"

Fitz nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah. Things are going great, actually."

"Then what's the smile about?"

_I took the virginity of Clare Edwards. Ripped her away from her precious Emo Boy. She's probably going to want to hang out tonight and do it again. _Despite those thoughts whispering in his head, Fitz chuckled. "It's a girl." He admitted, looking away to feign bashfulness.

His boss relaxed visibly and chuckled too. "Going on a date tonight?"

"Yes." Fitz lied. "As soon as I get done work."

Hos boss looked towards the dishes he was unloading and shrugged. "Once you're done putting those away, you can head out." Seeing a frown begin to gather, he added: "Don't worry. I'll pay you the other hour you were supposed to work."

"Thank you." Fitz said politely, putting away the rest of the dishes in a hurry. "I'll make it up to you sometime this week."

His boss had begun to walk away. "Just have fun on your date tonight." He said over his shoulder and disappeared into the hallway.

Once the dishes were put away, Fitz quickly texted Clare to see if she wanted to hang out.

Her reply was disheartening.

_I hate myself. _

_The guilt has finally set in. _Fitz thought to himself bitterly. _I thought this wasn't going to happen for awhile. _

_Unless... _

_Have you talked to Eli? _He texted her back, having a hunch that Emo Boy had something to do with why she was so upset.

_He wouldn't even look at me! _She replied and Fitz had decided he had had enough.

_I'm going to come over so we can talk, okay? Don't let Eli bring you down. Don't let him regret what you did. See you soon._

"You better not ruin my chance of a second time, Eli." He muttered under his breath as he left The Dot.

He got to Clare's as soon as he could. He knocked on the door gently enough so that she could hear. He heard her approach and when she opened the door, he wasn't ready for how terrible she looked.

He cringed.

"What!" She exclaimed.

Fitz tried to smile but failed. "You don't look good, Clare. What's... What's wrong?"

She looked up into his eyes as they narrowed. "I saw Eli at the pharmacy. Once he knew why I was there... He wouldn't... He wouldn't..." Her eyes closed and she began to sob. "He wouldn't even _look _at me! Like I was some kind of _whore_!"

He attempted to hug her but she shoved him away. "Don't touch me. This is all _your _fault!"

"Clare, I... I'm.."

"Sorry?" a voice behind him supplied.

Fitz didn't need to turn around to see who it was; He had recognized the voice instantly.

_Eli. _

"You're going to apologize for getting in her pants. For gently persuading her to join you. You're going to try and hug and kiss her sorrows away... but what you've done, Fitz," Although he wasn't facing him, Fitz was pretty sure that he could see the smirk from here, "Is revealed to Clare what you wanted all along. Now she knows."

Fitz only needed to look down at the accusing stare of Clare to know that Eli was speaking the truth.

An irate Clare in front of him and a vindicated Eli behind him, he had lost this battle. He needed to retreat but there was no way out.

"I should go." Fitz said, mostly to Clare. "I'm sorry I upset you, Clare. I really am."

He backed off her steps and bumped into Eli, who managed a shove of his own. "You're a scumbag. If you really did have feelings for her, you wouldn't have done that."

He started to jog but he could hear Clare perfectly when she yelled, "_I hate you!_"

That's all he could hear all the way home.

Clare's voice...

_I hate you!_


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

Eli watched with mild satisfaction as he saw Fitz jogging away. Eli had known that Fitz wouldn't have expected him to come to Clare's aid. Fitz thought that he would be too angry, too disappointed too hurt. He had thought that he would cling to those painful emotions. He was right. At least, for awhile.

Until Eli realized that Fitz had planned this entire thing out from reactions to responses. He had played both him and Clare like fine tuned instruments.

Just so he could hurt Eli and take Clare's innocence in one swift stroke.

For what? Sex?

Eli shook his head; He had played that scenario in his head one too many times. In the end, he decided, the only way to defeat Fitz was to do the opposite of what he expected. That's why he had made his way over here after Clare had texted him.

"Thank you." Clare managed to say, between her sobs.

Eli's throat felt tight. Like he didn't want to say the wrong thing. He nodded once, taking a step forward.

"Eli, wait!" Clare said suddenly, seeing that he had moved. She sniffed. "Please. Talk to me. We can still work things out..."

Eli silenced her with a shake of his head. "I think I agree with you." He said softly. "We do need some time apart."

Clare's sobs increased. "Please!" She begged, grabbing his arm. "You've barely said anything to me since...since..."

Eli closed his eyes. She wasn't going to let this drop and let him walk away. He had hoped that she would, to spare them both the uncomfortable conversations. When he opened them, he took another step forward.

"Don't you love me?" She said, her voice barely a whisper.

He looked down, where she had a white knuckled grip on his arm. So afraid of letting him go.

"_Clare, please! Don't leave me!_"

His own voice echoed in his mind, the thought a searing memory in his brain: The time when he had pleaded with her not to leave: to lessen her exposure to Fitz.

Despite breaking his heart, she had still left. She had been under the control of Fitz's lies. She made her choice.

Eli looked up from her arm into her eyes, taking her hand and removing it from his arm. Her hand fell slowly to her side.

"I'm sorry." Eli said and walked away.

For the longest time, all he could hear was Clare crying.

_I'm sorry, Clare. _

_I'm so sorry. _


End file.
